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1 lakh for PM’s relief fund…I am ready Film Chambers…” decay in our society. Politicians don’t
to go anything for the country.” He had looked upset sand pained come from outside. They are part of the
And when I had asked him how as he recounted that he did not get society.”
he’d dealt with that crisis phase when the expected support from Bollywood And when I asked him about his
allegations were heaped on him and “Only about three or four friends in friends in the political circles, he was
his family, he told me — “I told myself the film industry stood by us… The rest rather diplomatic. “I have no enemies;
that time alone will show and tell them had labelled my son Sanjo guilty...yes, with that all are my friends. In fact,
the truth. Also, where did I have the labelled him guilty even before the I have no best friend, as I am myself
time to prove our innocence. During courts did so!” my best friend! Also, I do I believe that
that crisis, I had been sleeping barely I had also asked him, suppose he was nobody is your enemy except your
two hours every night. I would get up not a MP and not so well-connected own destiny ….Yes, my destiny has been
by 4 am and be out by 5 am, to meet the and also from the minority community, rather tough on me …tapairai khai hain
lawyers …In fact, when my home was then what more hurdles could have zamanai kei …But I suppose one has to
being searched by the police for full come his way? “But even in our case fight on, to go on with life …Right from
two days I wasn’t even there, at home … people did not spare us the trauma of my childhood it has been a struggle but
what happened to my son I couldn’t
ever even dreamt of …But these are
tests of life.”
I’d ended the interview by asking
him if there was any solution to the

Actor-turned-politican
Sunil Dutt was
hounded and harassed
because he had shown
sympathy towards a
particular minority
community during the
Mumbai riots

ongoing strife? “Yes, there can be a
solution. Only last night I was going
through Time magazine and the horror
they’d conducted all those searches in coming up with allegations. All sorts photographs of the war-ridden Somalia
my absence.” of allegations — that Sanju’s mom was shocked me so much that I couldn’t eat.
He had also detailed that after San- a Muslim ….But, then, there are some It was dinner time but couldn’t touch a
jay was arrested, he had “approached secular forces in the country which can morsel. Just couldn’t …Those horrifying
and met everybody possible yet it took stop this decay. In Bombay, it was them pictures of human beings dying, sitting
19 days for Sanjay to be released …Only secular forces which saved the ongoing injured and ill, crawling about, ren-
few friends stood by us during that disaster.” dered so frail and weak that couldn’t
crisis. From the Congress, it was VC Was he frustrated the way the politi- even walk. These human disasters
Shukla, Rajesh Pilot, Pranab Mukherjee, cal system was functioning — in fact, because of the ongoing civil strife in
Arjun Singh and Jagdish Tytler. From he had even threatened to resign when Somalia…. And now I am going to sug-
the BJP it was Shatrughan Sinha and the Mumbai riots were peaking? “Yes, I gest that those pictures be displayed all
Jaswant Singh. From the Janata Party was feeling terrible, for even though I public places. And displaced with this
it was Sharad Yadav. And, yes, Chandra was / I am an elected Member I couldn’t caption: See what internal war or strife
Shekharji had also called. And from do much for my constituency people or unrest can do to you, to your country,
the film industry it was Dilip Kumar, …I had entered politics to serve people to your fellow countrymen.”
Rajendra Kumar, Pran sahab and also and yet felt so helpless …Political tama-
few members from the South India shas taking place …all that reflects the letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 31 may 2019 31 www.Tehelka.com